Central Texas pocket gopher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Central Texas pocket gopher |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Geomys
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| Species: |
texensis
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The central Texas pocket gopher or Llano pocket gopher (Geomys texensis) is a type of rodent. It belongs to the Geomyidae family. This gopher lives only in central Texas in the United States. When an animal lives only in one specific area, it is called endemic.
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What Does It Look Like?
The central Texas pocket gopher looks a lot like its close relatives. These include the plains pocket gopher and Knox Jones's pocket gopher. It can be hard to tell them apart just by looking.
Male gophers are usually about 18 cm (7.1 in) long. Females are a bit smaller, around 15 cm (5.9 in) long. Both males and females have a tail that is about 6 or 7 cm (2.4 or 2.8 in) long.
Their fur is mostly brownish. They have a lighter, yellowish color around their throat. Their undersides and feet are white. In winter, their fur becomes darker. Sometimes, their undersides might even be pale grey.
Where Does It Live?
The central Texas pocket gopher lives mainly in central Texas. You can find them in counties like McCulloch, San Saba, and Lampasas in the north. Their range extends south to Zavala, Frio, and Medina counties.
There are three different types, or subspecies, of this gopher: G. t. llanensis, G. t. texensis, and G. t. bakeri.
- The northern types, G. t. texensis and G. t. llanensis, live next to each other. Their areas do not overlap, but they touch.
- The third type, G. t. bakeri, lives separately from the other two. You can find it mostly in the southern counties of Medina, Uvalde, and Zavala.
Scientists are studying the genetic differences between these northern and southern gophers. This helps them understand how gophers adapt to their specific homes.
How Do Scientists Study Them?
It can be tricky for scientists to tell the central Texas pocket gopher apart from its relatives. This is because they look very similar. They have kept many of the same body features. Scientists think these features help them live underground.
Because they look so much alike, scientists often need to look at their genes. This helps them understand the differences between these gophers.
Using DNA to Learn More
Thanks to new discoveries in genetics, scientists can now use DNA to study animals. They can look at the DNA of the central Texas pocket gopher to understand it better. This is important because the gophers look so similar.
Scientists often use a specific part of DNA called mitochondrial cytochrome-b. They use it to build "family trees" for gophers. This shows how the central Texas pocket gopher and its subspecies are related. This method has been used before to study other rodents.
Looking at Chromosomes
Another way scientists study these gophers is by looking at their chromosomes. Chromosomes are tiny structures inside cells that carry genes. Scientists can tell gophers apart by looking at the number and shape of their chromosomes.
For example, northern central Texas pocket gophers have 70 to 72 chromosomes. Southern gophers can have 70, 71, 72, or 74 chromosomes. These differences help scientists understand how the gophers are related and where they live.
What Is Its Life Like?
As its name suggests, this gopher lives only in central Texas. It prefers areas with loamy soil. Loamy soil is a mix of sand, silt, and clay, which is good for digging.
These gophers are usually solitary animals. This means they live alone. Their tunnel systems are typically at least 2 m (6 ft 7 in) apart from each other.
Their burrows have many different rooms. They have places to store food and special areas called latrines for waste. They also have resting chambers. Some tunnels are corkscrew-shaped. This helps to stop predators from getting in.
Central Texas pocket gophers usually have one litter of babies each year.
One type of chewing louse called Geomydoecus heaneyi is known to live only on the fur of central Texas pocket gophers.
Subspecies
Scientists have identified three different subspecies of the central Texas pocket gopher:
